Dog pen runs

[DLCShark]

Saturday my daughter and I relocated some unused dog pens in hope of using it for temporary housing while we are on vacation. We ended up putting two 10x10 kennels side by side. One houses my six layers and the other houses my eight new comers. The two are separated by a door but I plan on integrating them eventually.

The main question is will the two pens be enough for 14 or so birds once I open it up for them to "mingle".

I wanted to intergrate them after a few weeks of seeing each other. I think I may wait until post vacation.

Let me know what you guys think.

 

[gbeauvin]

If you have the "separate panel" style pens then two 10x10 runs will actually create a 20x20 or 30x10 pen, so it can grow when you open up the middle. That works out to 20 to 28 sqft per bird in the run, which seems to meet the commonly expressed minimum of 10sqft per bird in the run. I don't have hens, though, so take a grain of salt.

-GB

 

[JanetS]

I would wait until after your vacation. We just integrated chicks in with older chickens and it took months for everything to smooth out. A lot longer than I thought it would. You probably wouldn't have the same issues("surprise" cockerel and a feather picker that had to be rehomed) but it does take a while for them to settle the pecking order. Good luck.

 

[ladyearth]

I put two new kennels, 10 by 5 together ,( of course covered by hdwe cloth and poultry wire).... but only four chickens in it . three gals and the master ROO ROO... were in it first time.
then they were moved to even bigger fenced run......Then second group are using, it thats seven gals...this time.
but once they got close to four months old or so, let the Babies out of the run and they love it.
But they are only in it when first get up... or when we go somewhere like next town etc....
Otherwise both group range 100 by 100 plus area..
they are starting to get along more EXCEPT when it comes to something special like a dish of something extr or doling out Japanese beetles or cracking peanuts for them
Roo Roo (part of straight first run of 6
, he was one of 3 surviving roosters...
My ROO ROO. is a greater protector etc, except he too wild yet in the sex dept.....
Naw chickens need plenty of room.. if nothing else let out 1 hr before bedtime so they can spread their wings.......and watched closely... My very first set of chicken almost 2 years ago.. looked like "SMILED....yes smiled and happy sounds" when I opened the gate and let them roam and run and jump and play for that hr before bedtime
just chiming in

 

[DLCShark]

Got them all moved but now I have the pleasure of figuring out how to fine the egg laying part.

My girls had been using a row of three 5 gallon buckets that were inside a coop but since I moved them I wanted to use a galvanized nesting box with 6 spots available. So far only one of my white leghorns have figured it out. Other than that they are laying on the ground and that can spell disaster. I just found an egg destroyed which is very disappointing.

Any suggestions? I had the nesting box kind of high so I lowered it and no luck as of yet.